Hinge hold-open



Nov. 12, 1957 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE 2,812,535

HINGE HOLD-OPEN Filed Sept. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR C lgr flewflfgpsfile I TTOBNEY Nov. 12, 1957 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE 5 5 HINGE HOLD-OPEN I Filed Sept. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Q "IWWWWM? HINGE HOLD-OPEN La Verne B. Ragsdale, Dearborn, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,536

3 Claims. c1. 16-140) This invention relates to a hinge hold-open, and more particularly to an improved hold-open device for automobile door hinges.

.One feature of the invention is that is provides an improved hinge hold-open; another feature is that the holdopen elements are out of engagement during the major portion of door opening movement to reduce friction during such movement; still another feature of the inven-' tion is that it provides a hinge hold-open-includi'ng a cam leverpivotally mounted on one hinge member and a follower projecting from the other hinge member and adapted to engage the cam surface of the lever, said surface having a detent in which the follower seats when the. hinge strap is in open position to provide a yieldable hold-open for the hinge strap; still another feature is that the follower does not engage the cam lever during a'rnajor portion of door opening movement; another feature of the invention is that the cam lever is pivoted intermediate its ends, the detent being adjacent one end of the lever and a spring being connected to the lever adjacent its other end biasing the leverinto engagement with'the follower; a further feature of the invention is that the cam lever is pivotally mounted on the hinge box on an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of the hinge strap; and stillanother feature is that a stopmember is provided for limiting movement of the hinge strap and the cam lever.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig.v 1 is a fragmentaryhorizontal section through the hinge .pillar and door showingthe hinge in plan, the door, being shown closed;w I I Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the hinge pillar and door showing the hinge in plan, the door being shown open; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, is an automobile body hinge pillar having an opening 12 (see Fig. 3) in its jamb face, and 14 is an automobile door having a hinge face 15 facing the opening 12. The door preferably is secured to the body by two vertically spaced hinges. Only the upper hinge is illustrated in the drawings.

A hinge box 16 is mounted on the automobile body within the pillar 10 by means of screws 17. 'The box 16 is generally U-shaped, having a base 18 through which the screws 17 extend, and having opposite side walls 19 and 20 projecting outwardly from the base and terminating adjacent the opening 12.

A hinge pin 22 is journaled between the walls 19 and 20 and forms a pivotal support for a gooseneck hinge strap 24 which is mounted for swinging movement between the walls 19 and 20 and which has a free end portion 25 extending through the opening 12. The end 2,812,535 Patented Nov. 12, .1357

25 is secured to the door by means of screws 27 threaded into a reinforcing plate 28 on the inner surface of the door wall. The door may be swung between open and closed positions, as shown in the drawings.

In order to provide a hold-open device for yieldably holding the hinge in open position, a cam lever is pivotally mounted on one of the box and'strap members, said lever having a cam surface with a detent, and a follower projects from the other of said box and strap members 7 into engagement with' the cam surface of the lever. Spring means are provided to bias the lever into en'- gagement with the follower when the door is swung to' open position, and the follower rides along the cam sure face and seats in the detent when the door reaches openv position to provide a yieldable hold-open for the hinge- The cam lever, which is shown at 30,,is pivotally' mounted intermediate its ends on a rivet 32 secured to the wall 19 of the hinge box. Rivet 32 is parallel to pin 22 so that the strap 24 and the cam lever 30 swung in parallel plane's. The lever 30-has a cam surface 34 terminating in a detentor offset portion 35 adjacent one end of the lever. A compression spring 36 is connected between a projecting lug 38 on the wall 19 of the hinge box and a similar projecting lug-400m the" end of the lever-i 30. The spring urges the leverin alclockwise direction as the parts appear in the drawings. A follower int-he form of a pin 42 projects from one side of the strap 24' in a position to engage the cam surface portion of the lever when the door is moving between closed and open. positions. A positive stop for limiting clockwise pivotal movement of the lever is provided by an ear 44 on the lever which engages a cap 46 secured between the walls;

19 and 20 of the hinge box. This cap is also engaged;

by the strap 24, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the cap acts as a positive stop to limit opening movement of the door and to limit pivotal movement of the cam lever 30..

In the operation of the device, as the door moves: from closed to open position, the projecting follower pin 42 movescloser to andfinally engages the cam surface 34 of the lever 30. As the door moves still the pin 42 in the detent 3510' provide, a yi'eldable hold-"f open for the hinge." The spring pressure is sufiicienfito" hold the door open against the normal force of gravity. When it is desired to close the door, the manual closing force cams the follower 42 out of the detent and along the cam surface 34 of the lever for a few degrees of move ment until the follower moves out of engagement with the lever as the door approaches its closed position. The ear 44 abuts the cap 46 to limit clockwise movement of the lever during this closing movement of the door so that a hold-open is provided which is effective only during the last few degrees of opening movement of the door and no frictional drag or counterbalance force is provided by the device through the bulk of swinging movement of the door.' In Figs. 1 and 3 the arcuate path of movement of the follower 42 is shown by a line 50. In moving along the arcuate path the follower 42 is out of engagement with the lever 30 during the major portion of door opening movement so that no unnecessary friction or drag is imposed.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. 'In combination with a door hinge including a hinge box having opposite walls and a hinge arm pivotally mounted between said walls for movement between door open and door closed positions, a hinge hold-open comprising, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on one of said side .walls for swinging movement in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the hinge arm, said leverincluding a hold-open detent shoulder adjacent one end thereof and a cam edge extending therefrom toward the pivotal axis of said lever, a cam follower on said hinge arm for movement therewith between said door open and door closed positions in the plane of swinging movement of said lever, and compression spring means extending between the other end of said lever and said boxnand biasing said one end of said lever towards the pivotal axis of said hinge arm whereby said cam edge is in the, path of door opening movement of said follower, said follower being out of engagement with said'lever in the closed position of said hinge arm and being engageable with said cam edge adjacent the pivotal axis of said lever immediately prior to movement of said hirige arm to door open position for movement along said edge into engagement with said hold-open detent shoulder in the door open position of said hinge arm to provide a. yieldable restraint against movement of said hinge arm in door closing direction from the door open position.

2. In combination with a doorhinge including a hinge box having opposite walls and a hinge arm pivotally mounted between said walls for movement between door open and door closed positions, a hinge hold-open comprising, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on one of said side walls for swinging, movement in, a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the hinge arm, said lever including a hold-open detent shoulder adjacent one end, thereof and a cam edge extending therefrom toward, the pivotal axis ofv said lever, a. cam follower on said hinge arm for movement therewith between said door open and, door closed positions in the plane of swinging movement of said lever, and compression spring-means extending between the other end of said lever and said hinge box and'biasing said one end of said lever towards the pivotal axis of said hinge arm whereby said cam edge is in the path of door opening movement of said follower, stop means engageable' by said one end of said lever for limiting movement thereof towards the pivotal axis of said hinge arm, said follower being out of engagement with said lever in the doorclosed position of said hinge arm and being engageable with said cam edge adjacent the pivotal axis of said lever immediately prior to movement of said hinge arm to door open position for movement along said edge into engagement with said hold-open detent shoulder in the door open position of said hinge arm to provide a yieldable restraint against movement of said hinge arm in door closing direction from the door open position, said hinge arm being engageable with said stop means at the door open position thereof to provide a positive stop limiting further opening movement of said hinge arm.

3. In combination with a door hinge including a hinge box having opposite walls and a hinge arm pivotally mounted between said walls for movement between door open and door closed positions, a hinge hold-open comprising, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on one of said side walls for swinging movement in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the hinge arm, said lever having a hold-open detent shoulder adjacent one end thereof and a cam edge merging with said shoulder and extending. therefrom toward the pivotal axis of said lever, a cam follower pin projected from an edge of said hinge arm for movement therewith between door open and door closed positions, said follower pin moving in a path for engagement with the cam edge and detent shoulder movement of the hinge arm, and a compression spring mounted between the other end of said lever and said hinge box for biasing said one end of said lever toward the pivotal axis of said hinge arm so that the cam edge of the lever is in the path of door opening movement of the follower, said follower being spaced from and out of engagement with said lever in the closed position of the hinge arm and being engageable with said cam edge adjacent the pivotal axis of said lever immediately prior to the time the hinge arm reaches open position in its movement from closed position, said follower then moving along said edge into engagement with said hold-open detent shoulder in the door open position of said hinge arm to provide a yieldable restrant in movement of said hinge arm in door closing direction from the door open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 991,026 Rodenbeck May 2, 1911 1,989,487 McCormick Jan. 29, 1935 2,262,487 Birr Nov 11, 1941 2,314,416 Muldoon Mar. 23, 1943 2,694,828 Johnson Nov. 23, 1954 2,707,302 Johnson May 3, 1955 

